A's hoping to keep their roster intact for 2013 season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The A's, never hesitant to make a splash, are a popular target for other teams at the winter meetings. But general manager Billy Beane doesn't intend on messing with the successful mix that shocked the baseball world last season.

Beane said there have been multiple inquiries about his young starting pitchers and tantalizing group of outfielders, but he expects to keep both groups intact.

The A's have pitching depth that is the envy of most roaming the lobby at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, home of the winter meetings. They return five starters - Brett Anderson, Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily - who are under 26 years old and made at least six starts last season. In an offseason where the top free agent pitchers are seeking $100 million deals and middling veterans can also blow budgets, Beane is eager to keep his staff together.

"We sort of are aware of what's going on out there with teams searching for pitching," he said. "We really just cannot get involved with that. It sobers you up and you realize that if you've got some young guys, you've got to hold onto them."

Beane feels the same way about his outfielders, despite the belief among many rival executives that he ultimately will trade at least one of them. He reiterated Tuesday that center fielder Coco Crisp, an attractive option for teams that miss out on a free agent leadoff hitter, is going nowhere. Neither are Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick and Chris Young, all of whom Beane and manager Bob Melvin expect to see significant playing time. The outfielders will rotate in and out of the DH spot to help ease the logjam and keep guys healthy.

"It does look like we're a little full in those positions, but as we saw last year, there are a lot of guys that contribute," Melvin said. "I think that will be the case this year, and we have the at-bats for all these guys at this point."

Like with his pitchers, Beane has been asked about his outfielders throughout the offseason. His answer remains a familiar one.

"I think we need all of these guys," he said. "We're a better team by keeping these guys. We plan on holding them."

* Beane reiterated that, having selected highly touted shortstop Addison Russell in the first round of this year's draft, he is looking only at 2013 when scouring the shortstop market.

"We have a very short-term focus," Beane said. "The guy who we think can help us the most (in 2013) is going to be the most attractive to us."

Among the free agent options, the A's remain focused on Stephen Drew, who played 39 games for them last season, and Japanese veteran Hiroyuki Nakajima, who is seeking a three-year deal according to Yahoo Sports.

* Beane confirmed that the A's have signed several minor league free agents in recent weeks in hopes of finding a gem or two. The players are pitchers Mike Ekstrom, Kyler Newby, Justin Thomas and Garret Olson, catcher Luke Montz, infielder Scott Moore and shortstop Darwin Perez.

"They're all guys we like," Beane said. "With a lot of these guys, we think they're good enough to contribute at some point."